George Relles

Page Youth Center

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Crunch, grind, grrrrrr-screech, $&*^!#>%!!!. WHAT WAS THAT? Did someone drop granny’s silverware in the blender? Is there gravel in my transmission? Nope, that was just the sound of my teeth grinding from overhearing one more person say, “There’s nothing for kids to do in Goleta.”

Give me a break! I’ll spare you (mostly) tales of my childhood in weather-challenged northern Wisconsin, where two or three days comprised our entire summer. There, an empty lot and some recycled equipment passed as our football and baseball field, and a mud hole and a couple of marbles were considered recreation.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that few things roil my giblets more than hearing grownups or children bleat, “There’s nothing for kids to do here.” By “nothing to do” I assume people mean no activities other than sometimes stimulating (but obesity-inducing) “video-based” ones such as emailing, Googling, texting, gaming, TV, VCR and DVD watching, or playing myriad games and “sports” available through Xbox, Playstation, and “in Wii we trust.”

And when they say “nothing to do,” people must not be counting the vast array of physical activities publicly available such as ride a bicycle, rollerblade, play volleyball, tennis, fish, skateboard, hike, swim, golf, play basketball, kayak, and so on.

And “nothing to do” must also discount the less physical distractions, such as chess clubs, book clubs, camera clubs, and libraries to name a few.

For those who still insist that there is a shortage of youth-oriented activities, allow me to redirect my rant to shine a spotlight on a true Goleta Valley gem, namely the Page Youth Center (PYC) at 4540 Hollister Avenue.

George Relles

Page Youth Center

The PYC is a nonprofit whose mission statement is as follows: “‘Building Character Through Youth Sports’ is our mission. We believe that through sports youth can learn valuable life lessons in teamwork, perseverance, cooperation, and sportsmanship. Our participants learn that success comes from practice and hard work and that being part of a team brings unique challenges and rewards. We recognize that children are our future and that our programs help prepare them for their roles as tomorrow’s citizens and leaders.”

Programs alternating throughout the year include girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball, coed volleyball, bowling, flag football, and more. There is even soccer for those in wheelchairs. Programs are directed primarily for youngsters in first grade through high school. However, there are also some excellent programs for adults including adult basketball league, badminton, jazzercise, and ping-pong.

The Page Youth Center was founded and incorporated in 1984. Its current facility, completed in 1991, is huge, 23,000 square feet including a 16,000-square-foot gymnasium. The facility is adaptable to several different sport and exercise activities, and when it’s not entirely booked, you can often find a game of pickup basketball going on.

George Relles

Stephanie and KC

I got a personal tour from Program Director Stephanie Shadwell and Assistant Program Director K.C. Carlsen. I asked K.C. what he liked best about PYC and he said, “I can’t say it any better than the motto on our wall, a quote from Carrick Dehart, our prior program director. He said, ‘We define success by our effort.’”

So what’s up at PYC for this summer? Here’s the short list:

Offensive Skills Basketball Camp: June 15 - 18

Basketball Camp: June 22 - 26

Guard/Post Position Clinic : July 13 - 25

Advantage Basketball Camp: August 10 - 15

Volleyball Camp: August 17 - 21

Adult Basketball League: Thursday nights, July 9 - August 27

In the current year, PYC has served more than 700 children, but there’s still room for more. Many of the programs are linked with school programs but walk- ins are also welcome. Fees for participation are nominal, and there is some flexibility so as to include the more economically challenged.

George Relles

You've seen its marker on Hollister

If you want to get your child involved, just pick up the phone and call 967-8778. While 75 percent of PYC’s budget comes from user fees, it still depends on donations for the remaining 25percent of its budget. If you want to help invest in today’s youth, you can do so through PayPal just by clicking on Page Youth Center's donation page. Or you can write a check, payable to Page Youth Center, P.O. Box 6766, Santa Barbara, CA 93160, or call to make a pledge at (805) 967-8778.

PYC is the product of visionaries who foresaw the prevalence of passive activities that threaten a generation of youth with obesity, inactivity, and even diabetes. Parents should check out all that PYC has to offer for the physical and mental development of their children. And let the phrase “nothing to do here” be forever banished from our conversations.

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